Baby securing apparatus

ABSTRACT

The present invention provides methods and systems for a baby securing apparatus that includes a first strap with a front side, back side, first end, and second end, a second strap with a front side, back side, first end, and second end, and a retention area positioned on the front side of the first strap.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED PATENT APPLICATION

The current application claims the benefit of the earlier priorityfiling date of the provisional application, Ser. No. 62/095,355, thatwas filed on Dec. 22, 2014.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to an apparatus used to securethe arms of babies to their sides.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Swaddling is an age-old practice of wrapping a baby such that the baby'sarms are tightly secured along the baby's body. Swaddling inhibits ababy's arm from their natural involuntary and uncontrolled movement thattends to prevent a baby from falling asleep, as well as tends to startlea baby from sleep. In addition, the pressure created from a securedswaddle around a baby's chest is believed to further calm the baby,which results in less crying and longer periods of uninterrupted sleep.It is thought that the tight bind of a baby's arms during the firstthree months of life simulates the conditions the baby experienced inthe womb, thereby inducing a calming effect. Swaddling is also useful inkeeping a sleeping baby on its back, which is important as recentmedical science has indicated that babies sleeping on their backs aremuch less likely to experience sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) thanin other positions.

Swaddling is usually achieved by wrapping a baby in a large receivingblanket. The baby is usually placed in a receiving blanket and a seriesof folds are used to bind the baby's arm to the baby's sides. The foldsalso secure the blanket to itself such that the swaddle will not becomeundone. The result is a tightly cocooned baby in a blanket wrapped headto toe.

However, current swaddling blankets and techniques pose safety risks tobabies. For example, a suffocation risk is created when a baby's armsare not properly secured and the swaddle blanket moves upwards towardsthe baby's face. Typical swaddling blankets are not strong or secureenough to hold a baby's arms in place and prevent the blanket frommoving upwards towards the bay's face when a baby wiggles.

Further, current swaddling blankets and techniques are often timeconsuming and cumbersome. Because babies are typically squirming duringthe swaddling process, parents often become frustrated with currentswaddling blankets that require a complex pattern of multiple folds tosecure the blanket around the baby. Often, a parent is trying to holdthe baby still with one hand while the other hand is attempting toperform the series of folds. By the time the parent comes to the secondor third fold, the first fold may have already been released due to thebaby's own movement.

In addition, with typical swaddling blankets and techniques, in order tochange a baby's diaper, the swaddle must be completely removed in orderto access the diaper area. The commotion of swaddling, removing theswaddling for diaper change, then the subsequently re-swaddling tends toaggravate babies, resulting in crying and further hindering them fromfalling asleep.

Current swaddling blankets may also cause a baby to over-heat due to theamount of fabric needed to wrap around the baby, as well as theheaviness of the fabric. This is especially problematic during thesummer months, but a legitimate risk year round.

Swaddling blankets may also be associated with improper muscledevelopment of the hips and legs owing to the lower body restriction ofmovement while swaddled. Further, swaddling blankets that constrict themovement of the legs and hips of a baby contribute to or lead to hipdysplasia. Doctors often recommend discontinuing swaddling to avoid therisk.

In addition, typical swaddling blankets are only suitable for infants.Larger, stronger, and older babies cannot be swaddled with the currentswaddling blankets and techniques because they are too large and toostrong for the swaddle blanket to securely swaddle them.

Accordingly, there is a need for a baby swaddle that addresses theconcerns and problems expressed above, as described and claimed herein.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to an embodiment of the present invention, a baby securingapparatus that includes an outer strap, an inner strap engaged to theouter strap, and a tensioning device engaged to the outer strap forreceiving the opposing end of the outer strap.

According to yet another embodiment of the present invention, the babysecuring apparatus is composed of a textile.

According to yet another embodiment of the present invention, the babysecuring apparatus contains an outer strap composed of a body having aleft side and a right side, and a first end engaged to the left side anda second end engaged to the right side.

According to yet another embodiment of the present invention, the babysecuring apparatus contains an inner strap with a hook and loop fasteneron each end.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention is illustrated and described herein with referenceto the various drawings, in which like reference numbers denote likemethod steps and/or system components, respectively, and in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the baby securing apparatus;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the baby securing apparatus with thesecond strap secured to the retention area;

FIG. 3 is a side view of the baby securing apparatus with the secondstrap secured to the retention area;

FIG. 4 is a side view of the baby securing apparatus;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the baby securing apparatus in use; and

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the baby securing apparatus in use andswaddling a baby.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The present invention may be understood more readily by reference to thefollowing detailed description of the invention taken in connection withthe accompanying drawing figures, which form a part of this disclosure.It is to be understood that this invention is not limited to thespecific devices, methods, conditions or parameters described and/orshown herein, and that the terminology used herein is for the purpose ofdescribing particular embodiments by way of example only and is notintended to be limiting of the claimed invention. Any and all patentsand other publications identified in this specification are incorporatedby reference as though fully set forth herein.

Also, as used in the specification including the appended claims, thesingular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” include the plural, and reference toa particular numerical value includes at least that particular value,unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Ranges may be expressedherein as from “about” or “approximately” one particular value and/or to“about” or “approximately” another particular value. When such a rangeis expressed, another embodiment includes from the one particular valueand/or to the other particular value. Similarly, when values areexpressed as approximations, by use of the antecedent “about,” it willbe understood that the particular value forms another embodiment.

Referring now specifically to the drawings, an improved baby securingapparatus is illustrated in FIG. 1 and is shown generally at referencenumeral 10. The baby securing apparatus 10 described herein provides asimple, less cumbersome, safer baby swaddle-type apparatus than thosecurrently available on the market.

The baby swaddle apparatus 10 includes a first strap 12 and a secondstrap 14, wherein the first strap 12 is engaged to the second strap 14.As illustrated in FIGS. 1-4 by way of an example, the first strap 12 maybe engaged to the second strap 14 in close proximity to the centerlocation of the first strap 12.

The first strap 12 includes a front side and a back side. A retentionarea 16 is disposed on the front side of the first strap 12. As shown inFIG. 1, the retention area 16 is preferably centrally located on thefirst strap 12. The first strap 12 may be generally rectangularly shapedwith a first end and a second end and extends between a top side and abottom side of the first strap 12. The first end may be frustoconicallyshaped and the second end is block shaped and contains corners.

The second strap 12 includes a front side, a back side, a first end, anda second end. The back side of the second strap 12 contains a fastenerfor engaging the second strap 14 to the retention area of the firststrap 12. The fastener may be centrally located on the back side of thesecond strap 12 and extends from a top side to a bottom side of thesecond strap 12. The fastener is preferably a hook and loop fastenersold under the trade name Velcro®. The retention area 16 of the firststrap 12 may be composed of the loop portion of the fastener and theback side of the second strap 12 may be composed of the hook fastener,or vice versa.

The first strap 12 and second strap 14 contains a first end and a secondend. A fastener is disposed on the top side of the first end and thesecond end of the second strap 14. The first end of the second strap 14is designed to receive or engage the retention area 16 and the secondend of the second strap 14 is designed to receive or engage theretention area 16. The fastener on the front side of the second strap 14contains a loop fastener for selectively securing the first end andsecond end of the second strap to the retention area 16 of the firststrap 12. The outer strap 14 contains an operative first end and anoperative second end for wrapping the outer strap 14 around the baby'schest and arms and over the outside of the inner strap 12.

The first end of the front side of the first strap 12 contains afastener thereon. The second end of the back side of the first strap 12contains a fastener thereon. Preferably, the first end of the front sideof the first strap 12 contains the hook of a hook and loop fastener andthe second end of the front side of the first strap 12 contains a loopof the hook and loop fastener for selectively securing the first end andsecond end of the first strap 12 to each other.

During use and as illustrated in FIGS. 5 and 6, the apparatus 10 is tobe spread out with the first strap 12 open and the second strap 14 openwith the second strap 14 overtop the first strap 12. The back side ofthe second strap 14 is engaged to the retention area 16 of the firststrap 12 and the lowest portion of the apparatus 10 is at the waist toensure the apparatus 10 does not wrap around the hips of the baby. Thebaby is then to be laid face up, with the middle of the back directlyover where the first strap 12 and second strap 14 are engaged, as shownin FIG. 5. The first end of the second strap 14 is pulled up between thetorso and an arm of the baby and the second end of the second strap 14is pulled up between the torso and an arm of the baby. The first end andthe second end of the second strap 14 is then wrapped over eachcorresponding arm, as illustrated in FIG. 2, and then engages the firstend and the second end of the second strap 14 to the retention area 16and retaining the arms of the baby adjacent to its sides. Thisarrangement without the baby is illustrated in FIGS. 2-4.

The second end of the first strap 12 is then placed over the chest ofthe baby. The second end of the first strap 12 is placed over the secondend and the front side of the first strap is engaged to the back side ofthe first strap, as illustrated in FIG. 6. In this arrangement, theapparatus 10 cannot go above the armpits of the baby and does not wraparound the hips of the baby.

While a hook and loop fastener has been described herein, the fastenermay include stitching, an adhesive, or the like.

An advantage of the present invention is that it provides an apparatus10 for swaddling a baby that is easy to put on and take off a babybecause the apparatus 10 only includes three connections for the user tomake to securely swaddle the baby.

A further advantage of the apparatus 10 is that it does not present anysuffocation risk to the baby owing to the second strap 14 preventing anyupward movement of the apparatus 10 towards the baby's face.

Another advantage of the apparatus 10 is that a baby's diaper may bechanged without having to remove the apparatus 10 from the baby.

A further advantage of the apparatus 10 is that it does not cause anyoverheating risk to a baby because the apparatus does not cover the babyfrom head to toe.

In addition, the apparatus 10 does not cause any risk of improper muscledevelopment or hip dysplasia because the apparatus 10 does not bind thelegs of the baby. Instead, the apparatus 10 only swaddles the baby'sarms, leaving the hips and legs free, which promotes proper muscledevelopment in the legs and prevents hip dysplasia.

Yet another advantage of the apparatus 10 is that it allows larger,stronger, or older babies to be swaddled based on the design.

The apparatus 10 may be made of textile materials, flexible plastics,and the like. The tensioning device 16 may be constructed of plastic,metal, or the like.

Although the present invention has been illustrated and described hereinwith reference to preferred embodiments and specific examples thereof,it will be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art thatother embodiments and examples may perform similar functions and/orachieve like results. All such equivalent embodiments and examples arewithin the spirit and scope of the present invention and are intended tobe covered by the following claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A baby securing apparatus, comprising: a first strap with a front side, back side, first end, and second end; a second strap with a front side, back side, first end, and second end; and a retention area positioned on the front side of the first strap.
 2. The baby securing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the apparatus is composed of a textile.
 3. The baby securing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first end and the second end of the second strap are selectively secured to the retention area.
 4. The baby securing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first end and the second end of the second strap are selectively secured to the retention area with a hook and loop fastener.
 5. The baby securing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the back side of the first strap is selectively secured to the retention area.
 6. The baby securing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first side of the second strap is selectively secured to the back side of the second strap.
 7. A method of securing a baby, comprising: providing a baby securing apparatus that has a first strap with a front side, back side, first end, and second end, a second strap with a front side, back side, first end, and second end, and a retention area positioned on the front side of the first strap; placing the back side of the second strap on the retention area of the first strap; placing a baby within the second strap.
 8. The method of securing a baby according to claim 7, further comprising wrapping the first end of the second strap around the outside of a first arm of the baby and engaging the first end to the retention area of the first strap.
 9. The method of securing a baby according to claim 7, further comprising wrapping the second end of the second strap around the outside of a second arm of the baby and engaging the first end to the retention area of the first strap.
 10. The method of securing a baby according to claim 7, further comprising wrapping the first end of the first strap around the torso of the baby and wrapping the second end of the first strap around the torso of the baby, and engaging the back side of the second end to the front side of the first end. 